October 21, 2007:
Bahrain has
begun using the AN/TPS-59(V)3B ballistic missile defense radar system it
purchased, for 44ドル million, three years ago. The radar has a 700 kilometer
range and can be used for air traffic control, as well as in conjunction with
Hawk and Patriot anti-aircraft missiles, as well as AEGIS anti-aircraft systems
used on American warships. Bahrain is a base for ships of the U.S. 5th Fleet
and is building up its air defenses, in the face of an increasingly hostile
Iran.